Arkansas Tech Band of Distinction – Hal Cooper Era

Hal Cooper Sr. earned his BME and MME from Henderson State University, studying and performing under Wendell Evanson, and pursued graduate work at the University of North Texas with Robert Winslow. He began his career as band director at Sheridan and El Dorado, Arkansas, before his 1979 appointment as Director of Bands at Arkansas Tech University, succeeding Gene Witherspoon. Over the next 32 years, he transformed the “Band of Distinction” through the integration of drill movement and design accented by color to enhance the beauty and clarity of sound to its fullest potential. The concert ensembles were invited to perform at numerous state, regional, and national venues, receiving significant acclaim from audiences of musicians. Cooper is in the Arkansas Bandmasters' Hall of Fame, Henderson State Distinguished Alumnus, and Emeritus faculty plus Arkansas Tech Hall of Distinction in 2017, cementing his legacy as one of the university’s most influential musical leaders.

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Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1980

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. University of Central Arkansas; The Bridgemen -- Ritual fire dance & Sabre dance / Manuel de Falla, Aram Khachaturian -- Arkansas Tech University -- Tiger of San Pedro / John LaBarbera -- Russian percussian / Aram Khachaturian -- The wind and the lion / Jerry Goldsmith -- Let it be me / Gilbert Bécaud, Pierre Delanoë.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1981

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Georgia -- Carnival overture / Anton Dvorak -- West Side Story medley / Leonard Berstein -- Logica / Fred Sanford -- El gato triste / Chuck Mangione.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1982

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. Henderson State University; Free / Robert Lamm -- Sophisticated lady / Duke Ellington -- Blue rondo à la Turk / Dave Brubeck -- Variations on a Shaker melody / Aaron Copland.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1983

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: New York Fantasy / Wayne Downey -- Ya gotta try / Count Basie, Sammie Nestico -- Higher and higher / Gary Jackson -- Raynard Miner, Carl Smith -- Flight of the bumble bee (percussion) / Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov -- You are so beautiful / Billy Preston, Bruce Fisher -- ET / John Williams.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1984

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. Henderson State University; Right Stuff / Bill Conti -- Slaughter on 10th Avenue / Richard Rodgers -- Devil went down to Georgia / Charlie Daniels Band -- This masquerade / Leon Russell -- Olympic Fanfare / John Williams.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1986

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. University of Central Arkansas; Festival prelude / Alfred Reed -- Start of something big / Steve Allen arrangement Hal Cooper -- Dixieland salute -- If I loved you, from Carousel / arrangement Hal Cooper -- Festival prelude [Reprise] / Alfred Reed.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1987

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Mars, the bringer of war / Gustav Holst -- Ol' man river / Jerome Kern, Oscar Hammerstein II, arrangement Hal Cooper -- Evanson tribute -- Send in the clowns / Stephen Sondheim -- Puttin' it together / Stephen Sondheim.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1988

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. University of Central Arkansas; ET / John Williams -- Lover / Richard Rodgers, Lorenz Hart, arrangement Hal Cooper -- Jetsons / Hoyt Curtin -- Electric rendezvous (percussion) / Al Di Meola -- Not while I'm around / Stephen Sondheim -- ET (reprise) / John Williams.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1989

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Thriller / Michael Jackson, arrangement Hal Cooper -- TO / Wayne Downey -- Brazil / Ary Barroso -- Firebird suite / Igor Stravinsky.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1990

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: In the stone / Maurice White, David Foster, Allee Willi -- Free / Robert Lamm -- Harlem nocturne Earle Hagen, Dick Rogers -- West Side Story medley / Leonard Berstein.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1991

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. Henderson State University; Ritual fire dance & Sabre dance / Manuel de Falla, Aram Khachaturian -- Blue rondo à la Turk / Dave Brubeck -- San Juan odyssey / Roland Barrett -- Arkansas Tech University fight song -- Patriotic salute with Henderson State University Band.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1992

Arkansas Tech University

Contest show: Big band salute -- Gavorkna fanfare / Jack Stamp -- Start of something big / Steve Allen -- Artistry in rhythm -- Taste of honey / Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow -- Things ain't what they used to be / Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons -- Satin doll / Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1992-11-07

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. University of Central Arkansas; Big band salute -- Gavorkna fanfare / Jack Stamp -- Start of something big / Steve Allen -- Artistry in rhythm -- Taste of honey / Bobby Scott, Ric Marlow -- Things ain't what they used to be / Mercer Ellington, Ted Persons -- Satin doll / Duke Ellington, Billy Strayhorn, Johnny Mercer.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1993

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Mars, the bringer of war / Gustav Holst -- Excerpt: From the New world, Symphony 9 / Anton Dvorak -- Porgy and Bess / George Gershwin -- Strictly taboo / Chris Crockarell -- Ode to joy / Ludwig van Beethoven, arrangement Hal Cooper and From the New world, Symphony 9 (reprise) / Anton Dvorak.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1994

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: El cumanchero / Rafael Hernandez -- Malaga / Bill Holman -- One more time, Chuck Corea / Gene Puerling, arrangement Wayne Downey, Jay Dawson -- Like a lover / Alan Bergman, Marilyn Bergman, arrangement Wayne Downey -- Malaga (reprise) / Bill Holman.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1995

Arkansas Tech University

Contest show: Percussion / Ben Finley -- Jupiter / Gustav Holst -- Toreador from Carmen (percussion) / Georges Bizet -- Hoedown from Rodeo / Aaron Copland -- Going home, From the New World / Antonin Dvorak -- March Slav / Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1996

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Batman / Danny Elfman -- Right Stuff / Bill Conti -- Raiders of the Lost Ark / John Williams -- Cantina theme from Starwars / John Williams -- For your eyes only / Bill Conti -- James Bond theme / Monty Norman.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1997

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. Henderson State University; TO and New York Fantasy / Wayne Downey -- Lasuerta de los tontos / Johnny Richards -- Channel one suite, mvts. 2 & 3 / Buddy Rich.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1998

Arkansas Tech University

Exhibition show: "A Latin Collage" Fanfare / Alfred Reed -- Granada / Agustín Lara arrangement Hal Cooper -- La virgin de la Macarena / Bernardo Bautista Monterde, arrangement Sky Riders -- Malagueña / Ernesto Lecuona -- San Juan Odyssey / Roland Barrett -- Dindi / Antônio Carlos Jobim, arrangement Wayne Downey -- Spanish fantasy / Wayne Downey.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 1999

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Yesterday once more / Roger McGuinn, John Bettis-- Birdland / Joe Zawinul -- Hey Pachuco / Lalo Guerrero -- El gato triste / Chuck Mangione -- Gonna fly now / Bill Conti, Carol Connors, Ayn Robbins-- Yesterday (reprise) / Paul McCartney -- Patriotic finale / James L. McLeod.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 2000

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: That's all I ask of you / Andrew Lloyd Weber -- Puttin' it together / Stephen Sondheim -- Evita medley / Andrew Lloyd Webber -- Over the rainbow / Harold Arlen.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 2001

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: All that jazz / John Kander, Fred Ebb -- Home on the range / Daniel E. Kelley, Brewster Higley -- It don't mean a thing / Duke Ellington -- Malaga / Bill Holman.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 2002

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: Arkansas Tech University vs. Henderson State University; "The music of Carl Jenkins" En Calum Faero ; Palladio ; Cantus: Song of Aolus / Carl Jenkins.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 2003

Arkansas Tech University

Halftime show: "Bernstein/Copland Tribute" I have a love / Leonard Bernstein -- Outdoor overture / Aaron Copland -- Percussion interlude -- Mambo / Leonard Bernstein -- Copland finale; Music from The red pony; Fanfare for the common man / Aaron Copland.
Arkansas Tech University Band of Distinction 2004

Arkansas Tech University

Contest show: "Mask of Zorro Show," Drum cadence / Brian Stackhouse -- Main title from Mask of Zorro ; Diego's goodbye ; Fugue and finale / James Horne.